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Every moment is a deciding moment

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS awareness Day is a time to come together to offer support, teach women and girls about how to protect themselves and their loved ones, the importance of getting tested, and how to live with and manage HIV and AIDS. According to CDC : In 2009, women comprised 51% of the US population and accounted for 23% of new HIV infections. Of the total number of new HIV infections among women, 57% were among black women, 21% were in white women, and 18% were in Latina women.

Because of their weakened immune system, HIV/AIDS women/girls need to get the necessary nutrientsto survive. Most importantly, one must know how to protect themselves to avoid further damages to your body. Some of you might wonder if it is safe for HIV person to eat in restaurants. I say yes! The important is to be careful. Always order food that is well done. Do not order any raw or lightly steamed fish or shellfish, such as oysters, sushi, clams… All fish should be cooked until done. Make sure you build a solid and healthy meal with all the necessary nutrients and making sure you get the necessary amount of carbohydrates, proteins.

All mothers should increase their food intake and consume food rich in nutrients during lactation. Breastfeeding uses energy and other nutrients that need to be replaced to keep a mother healthy. Nutritional support is particularly important for the HIV-infected mother because HIV puts an additional strain on her energy and nutrient stores and may affect her appetite.

Photo Credit from Momzelle

The CDC policy continues to be that HIV-infected women in the United States should not breastfeed their infants. Even If you are taking medication or following the antiretroviral therapy,the CDC recommends that infected women in the United States refrain from breastfeeding to avoid postnatal transmission of HIV to their infants through breast milk.. The longer a child is breastfed by an HIV-positive mother the higher the risk of HIV infection. Breastfeeding for 6 months has about one third of the risk of breastfeeding for 2 years.

However, exception applies, if you cannot afford the substitutes of breast milk. It’s best to breastfeed. Know that: without preventive interventions, approximately one-third of infants born to HIV-positive mothers contract HIV through mother-to-child transmission, becoming infected during their mothers’ pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.